LIFE: Goal Digger!

As the end of the year approaches we start to think about next year's life goals, both personal and career goals. As a manager in the organization I work for, I begin to think about the goals for my team, what that means to an individual, and how that affects the business as a whole. The same approaches I use to establish goals for my team is the same that I try to use for my own personal goals. 

Here's some things to think about while you establish your new fitness and health goals for 2015.

What Do Great Goals Look Like?

An effective and consistent approach to goal setting includes three facets:

1. Goals should be, at a minimum, SMART.

SMART is an acronym that stands for: Specific,  Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, and Timely. 

2. Goals should be manageable in number. Five or six meaningful stretch goals are sufficient to 
challenge an individual. Adding more goals is likely to have a negative impact on productivity and derail progress toward achieving any of them.

3. Goals should challenge you and provide personal development.
Each year, the goal-setting process establishes a new challenge to set forth; these should be invested in to achieve the desired results. Well-written, regularly monitored goals provide the framework for accountability.

While establishing your goals, don't forget to look back at all your accomplishments. Celebrate those as well. They are equally as important as the goals that lie ahead of you because without the small accomplishments you have no ability to measure your success in smaller increments.